TOKYO & PITTSBURGH—Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Coherent Corp. recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a program to scale the manufacturing of silicon carbide (SiC) power electronics on a 200mm technology platform, according to a release from Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric is a major manufacturer of electrical and electronic equipment for numerous applications, including information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation, and building equipment. Coherent is a global manufacturer of materials, networking, and laser technologies
Mitsubishi said in the release that power electronics based on SiC have demonstrated the potential to have a highly beneficial impact on the environment via significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The market for electric vehicles is expanding worldwide and is just one of several emerging applications driving exponential growth in SiC power devices, according to the company.
The devices have lower energy losses, higher operating temperatures, and higher switching speeds versus power devices based on silicon. The high efficiency of SiC power devices is expected to be a significant contributor to global decarbonization and the green transformation, the company said
To meet the rapidly growing demand, Mitsubishi Electric announced an investment of approximately 260 billion yen in the five-year period ending March 2026. A major portion of the investment—approximately 100 billion yen—will be used to construct a new plant for SiC power devices, based on a 200mm technology platform, and enhance related production facilities.
Under the MOU, Coherent will develop a supply of 200mm n-type 4H SiC substrates for Mitsubishi Electric’s future SiC power devices manufactured at the new facility, according to the release.
“Coherent has been, for many years, a reliable supplier of high-quality 150mm SiC wafer substrates to Mitsubishi Electric,” said Masayoshi Takemi, executive officer and group president, semiconductor and device at Mitsubishi Electric, in the release. “We are delighted to enter into this close partnership with Coherent to scale our respective SiC manufacturing platforms to 200mm.”
Mitsubishi said that Coherent has decades of experience in the development of SiC materials. Coherent reportedly demonstrated the world’s first 200mm conductive substrates in 2015. In 2019, the company began to supply 200mm SiC substrates under REACTION, a Horizon 2020 four-year program funded by the European Commission
Over the years, Mitsubishi Electric has manufactured SiC power modules for high-speed trains, high-voltage industrial applications, and home appliances. The company is reported to have launched the world’s first SiC power modules for air conditioners in 2010, and became the first supplier of a full SiC power module for Shinkansen high-speed trains in 2015.
“We are excited to build on our relationship with Mitsubishi Electric, a pioneer in SiC power devices and a global market leader in SiC power modules for high-speed trains, including the famous Shinkansen in Japan,” said Sohail Khan, executive vice president, new ventures and wide-bandgap electronics technologies at Coherent, in the release. “We have a long track record of supplying SiC substrates to Mitsubishi Electric and are looking forward to expanding our relationship with them to scale their new 200mm SiC platform.”